Machine for printing multi-line texts of alphabetical and numerical characters on a document

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a machine which enables addresses or other multi-line texts of alphabetical and numerical characters to be printed on a document in a single operating cycle. This machine comprises a support means on which data relative to the identity and position of the various characters contained in the text to be printed are stored, a reading complex for reading said data stored on the support means and a printing assembly controlled by said reading complex so as to orderly print on a document the several characters read by the reading complex.

States Patent 1191 Di Marzio et al.

[451 Jan. 21, 1975 MACHINE FOR PRINTING MULTI-LINE TEXTS OF ALPHABETICALAND NUMERICAL CHARACTERS ON A DOCUMENT Inventors: Emilio Di Marzio,Venice; Ivo

Spiazzi, Cusano Milanino, both of Italy Assignee: Firma S.p.A., Milan,Italy Filed: Nov. 21, 1973 Appl. No.: 418,038

U.S. Cl. 10l/93.08, 235/58 Int. Cl B4lj 9/10 Field of Search 101/93 C,111; 235/58,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1959 Kistner et a1 101/93 C7/1959 Beattie 101/93 C 2/1961 Havg 101/93 C 3,133,497 5/1964 Martin101/93 C 3,465,866 9/1969 Gehring et a1... 197/20 3,629,848 12/1971Gibson l 340/1725 3,750,565 8/1973 Hubbard et al l01/l1l X PrimaryExaminer-Edgar S. Burr Assistant Examiner-Edward M. Coven Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT There is disclosed a machinewhich enables addresses or other multi-line texts of alphabetical andnumerical characters to be printed on a document in a single operatingcycle. This machine comprises a support means on which data relative tothe identity and position of the various characters contained in thetext to be printed are stored, a reading complex for reading said datastored on the support means and a printing assembly controlled by saidreading complex so as to orderly print on a document the severalcharacters read by the reading complex.

8 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PAIEMEB MH I 3.861.301

sum YCIUF 13 PATENTH] JAN 2 1 I975 SHEEI C30! 13 Pmaminmzl ms sutn mar13 PATENTED 3.861.301

' sum user 13 PATENTEDJANZI 1915 saw near 13 L-mxc Pmminmzl ms SHEEI110F 13 mm mm.

PATENTED mm 1275 saw isur 13 I!" I I MACHINE FOR PRINTING MULTI-LINETEXTS OF ALPHABETICAL AND NUMERICAL CHARACTERS ON A DOCUMENT Thisinvention relates to a machine which enables addresses or othermulti-line texts of alphabetical and numerical characters to be printedon a document in a single operating cycle.

The so-called handling of addresses, i.e., the conservation andperiodical printing of determined addresses of documents such asletters, envelopes, circulars etc. is notably carried out at presentmainly by two systems of different conception.

The older and still more widespread system is that which usestypographic, silk-screen, ectographic or other matrices derived fromtraditional printing processes, for recording the addresses to bemanaged. These latter are then reproduced on any document by impressingthe matrix on the document itself, using for this operation suitablemachines the operating priciple of which does not differ much from thatof traditional printing machines. Relief punched metal or plasticsplates, or paper or cardboard cards engraved or typewritten in a specialmanner are mainly used as matrices. The more evident disadvantages whicharise are, for the plates, the size and weight of the filing system andthe need to use suitable punching units, and, for the cards, theimpossibility of printing more than one copy of the documents at a time,and the small number of reproductions obtainable from each card.

The most recent system however uses an electronic processor, for whichan address is no more than a collection of data to be treated in respectof determined preinserted automatic programmes. This system isdeveloping rapidly especially because of the characteristic flexibilityof a processor; the need to use an electronic processor arises where therequirement of having available updated data on the operation of thefirm or of merely recognising services in which the procedures can bestandardised is most felt, and once it has been placed in the service ofthe firm it can easily be used to resolve the mechanisation ofrelatively simple services such as that of handling addresses.

However even for this system objections of an economical and technicalnature can arise. The objections of economical nature refer to the costof handling the addresses by the processor, considering both the timefor which the central and peripheral units are employed, and therelatively greater complexity of procedures, programmes and theorganization of the data which must be such as to enable an address tobe used in the required form. The objections of a technical naturerelate to the need for a processor printer for reproducing the addresson documents which are collected together in the form of a continuousmodulus, which implies on the one hand the use of successive unitsdownstream of the printer (cutters, tearers etc.) which enable thecontinuous module to be divided into single documents, and on the otherhand the practical impossibility of printing the addresses on envelopesor any other document (circulars, direct publicity etc.) which are notin the form of a continuous modulus (unless one prints on labels in theform of a continuous modulus and then uses them in units which applythem to the individual documents).

Taking account of that stated above, the object of this invention istherefore to provide a machine for printing addresses which, whilepreserving the many merits of the electronic processor system eliminatesits defects, i.e., with respect to this system it is less costly and isable to print addresses either on documents in the form of a continuousmodulus or on individual documents. More precisely the object of thisinvention is to provide a machine which starting from a punched card orother similar storage means of low weight and size and of easypreparation, is capable of printing in a single operational cycle, bothon documents in the form of a continuous modulus and on individualdocuments, an address or other text in the form ofa number of lines ofalphabetical and numerical characters (this extension of the object ofthe invention to the printing of a general multi-line text instead of asimple address is clearly due to the fact that the contents of the textto be printed do not create distinctions between one machine andanother).

In view of this object the machine according to the invention, forprinting a general text of alphabetical and numerical characters formedfrom m lines and k typographical spaces per line, comprises a readingcomplex for data, stored on a support means, relative to the identityand position of the various alphabetical and numerical characterscontained in the text to be printed, and a printing assembly controlledby said reading complex, said printing assembly being composed of asupport unit for print characters and a support unit for print hammersarranged to co-operate with said print characters for printingalphabetical and numerical characters on a document fed between saidhammers and said print characters, said support unit for printcharacters containing an ordered succession of as many rows of n (n 2 k)like print characters as there are alphabetical and numerical charactersin the language adopted for the text to be printed, said support unitfor print hammers containing a succession of m rows, spaced apart by onestep in said succession of rows of print characters, of n print hammersprovided with respective means for their independent operation into aposition of engagement with respective print characters, said unitsbeing disposed and made to move one with respect to the other in thedirection of development of said succession of rows of print charactersin such a manner that one group, different each time, of m successiverows of print characters, comes in turn into a printing area in whichthe print characters are in a position facing, and suitable forengagement with, the m rows of print hammers, said support means forstored data being divided into a number m of store sectors, in each ofwhich is stored the data relative to the identity and position of thealphabetical and numerical characters contained in one line of the textto be printed, and each of said sectors being divided in its turn into anumber h (k s h sn) of subsectors, each of which is provided with anordered succession of storage positions in which the data relative tothe alphabetical or numerical character situated in a determinedposition in a line of the text to be printed is stored according to acode which comprises the use of storage positions increasingly moredistant from a reference position for storing data regarding theidentity of progressively successive alphabetical and numericalcharacters in accordance with an order of succession corresponding tothat of the print characters contained in the printing assembly, saidreading complex comprising at least one reading device including mreaders, each of which is designed for reading the data stored in onesector of the support means and comprises in its turn h readingelements, each of which is controlled so as to scan in succession,starting from the aforementioned reference position, the various storagepositions of a subsector of the support means in such a manner as toread the character identity data stored in a determined storage positionof said subsector in any moment of time, the time lag of which from themoment of scanning said reference po sition depends on the distancebetween the storage position used and said reference position, the hreading elements included in each reader being independently connectedto the means for operating the same number of hammers of one of the mrows of hammers of the printing assembly so as to cause the independentoperation of these latter at each reading of a piece of data stored inthe various subsectors of a store sector of the support means, and beingmade to scan the respective subsectors of the support meanssimultaneously and in phase with each other so that all the dataregarding the identity of equal characters stored in one sector of thesupport means is read simultaneously and gives rise to the simultaneousoperation of all the hammers associated with the reading elements whichread this data and then to the simultaneous printing of all the equalcharacters contained in one line of the text to be printed, the readingmovement and the mutual movement of the two units of the printingassembly being synchronised and put into mutual phase in such a mannerthat the reading of a determined piece of data regarding the characteridentity by one of the reading elements of a determined reader alwayscoincides with the appearance of the corresponding row of printcharacters in a position facing those hammers forming part of the rowassociated with the reading elements of that reader, and the readersassociated with the, in turn, successive rows of hammers in thedirection of mutual movement of the two units of the printing assemblybeing controlled in such a manner as to scan the respective sectors ofthe support means with mutual time lags corresponding to one step in thesuccession of storage positions in the support means and in thesuccession of rows of hammers and print characters of the printingassembly, so that the control actions for the operation of a row ofhammers of the printing assembly for the printing of a group of equalalphabetical or numerical characters on a line of the document to beprinted are delayed, with respect to those for the operation of theprevious row of hammers for the printing of the same alphabetical ornumerical characters on the previous line of the document, by a timesufficient to allow the corresponding row of print characters to movefrom the position facing said previous row of hammers to the positionfacing the row of hammers being operated.

This machine, which because of the continuous motion between the printcharacters and the print hammers may be defined as the volley printertype, has clearly the merit of printing in a single operational cycleall the alphabetical and numerical characters included in the variouslines of the text to be printed and also of doing this both on documentsin the form of a continuous module and on individual documents. Thislatter characteristic is clearly due to the fact that the printing ofall the lines of the text takes place in a single passage of the printcharacters within the printing area, i.e., without the necessity ofmoving the document for the passage from one line to the other, as wouldbe necessary (and almost impossible for single documents) if theelectronic processor system was to be used. Moreover the machineaccording to the invention has the merit of being able to use as itsdata support means a punched card or another analogous storage means ofsmall size and weight and easily preparable. Finally a notinconsiderable merit is that the machine according to the invention isevidently of very low cost (both initial and operating) with respect tothe electronic processor system.

To better clarify the structural and functional characteristics of themachine according to the invention, a detailed description will now begiven of one embodiment suitable for printing texts of three lines andof a maximum of twentysix typographical spaces per line starting from acard punched in Hollerith code, and also of one conceptually analogousmodification of it. The following description, which is given by way ofnon-limiting example, refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are overall views in elevation and plan respectively ofone example of a printing machine according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view from below of the support unit for printcharacters of the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section on the line V--V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view from above of a drive unit for the printing tapewhich is associated with said support unit for print characters;

FIG. 7 is an elevational representation of the complex formed from saiddrive unit, seen in section on the line VII-VII of FIG. 6, and saidsupport unit, seen in section as in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 9, of the complexconsisting of the said support unit for print characters and a supportunit for print hammers also forming part of the printing assembly of themachine of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on the line IX-IX of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a card punched in Hollerith code, which isused as a support means for the data relative to the identity andposition of the various alphabetical and numerical characters in thetext to be printed;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the reading complex used in the machineof FIGS. 1 and 2 for reading punched cards such as that of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic elevational representation of the readingcomplex of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 shows the basic diagram of the electrical circuit by which theprint hammers are coupled to the reading complex so that the operationsof the hammers are controlled in accordance with the data read on thepunched cards fed to the reading complex;

FIG. 14 shows two representative diagrams of the form and method ofoperation of two cams associated with the electrical circuit of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 shows a different reading complex replacing that of FIGS. 11 and12 in a modification of the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The machine shown by way of example in the accompanying drawingscomprises generally a printing assembly 11, into which documents, eitherindividually or grouped in the form of a continuous modulus, areinserted, on which the text to be printed must be reproduced, and areading complex 12 connected operationally to said printing assembly soas to control its operation on the basis of the data read from punchedcards fed to it as required.

The print assembly 11 comprises a support unit for print characters 13,a support unit for print hammers 14 and a unit 15, for controlling themovement of a printing tape 16 driven to run between the two units 13and 14. The documents to be printed are inserted as required between thetape 16 and unit 14 and are retained there momentarily for the entireprinting time.

The support unit for print characters 13 is shown in detail in FIGS. 3,4 and 5 and comprises a succession of character support bars 17, whichsupport, grouped in pairs on the individual bars, as many rows of printcharacters 18 as there are alphabetical and numerical charactersprovided in the language used for the text to be printed. In the exampleconsidered, a succession is used which comprises the numbers 0,1, 9, theletters A, B, Z, and, between the letters R and S, the symbol there isalso provided a certain number of character free bars arranged betweenthat bar which carries the characters relative to the number 0 and thatwhich carries the characters relative to the number 1. The number n oflike characters included in any of said rows may vary between widelimits, but must always be equal to or greater than the maximum number kof typographical spaces of which each line of the text to be printed iscomposed.

The bars 17 are supported at the ends of respective pairs of supports19, which are pivoted on the pins which connect the various links of apair of chains 20, each of which is engaged with two pinions 21 and 22,the first of which is keyed on an idle shaft 23 and the second on adrive shaft 24 rotated continuously in the direction indicated by thearrow 33 in FIG. 4.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the two shafts 23 and 24, and consequentlythe four pinions 21 and 22, are disposed in such a manner as to give thechains 20, and consequently the succession of bars 17, a substantiallyelliptical path which comprises two straight portions, in one of which,as shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, at least three character support bars arein a flat position facing the print hammers 26, 27 and 28 of the unit14, which is suitable for establishing the engagement between thehammers and print characters for printing the corresponding alphabeticaland numerical characters on a document inserted between the two units 13and 14 (FIG. 7). The zone in which this condition occurs will be calledhereinafter printing area. In this area, for the purpose of resistingthe pressure exercised by the print hammers, behind the charactersupport bars (at a small distance from them so that there is no rubbing)there is disposed a backing plate 29, which is rigidly joined to twofixed ends 30 of the outer frame of the unit 13. These ends also act asa support for a cover element in the form of a shell 31 comprising anaperture 32 at said printing area.

With the support unit for print characters 13 there is associated theunit 15 which drives the printing ribbon 16, which is shown in detail inFIGS. 6 and 7 and comprises two ribbon reels 34 and 35, between whichthe ribbon 16 extends guided by the cover element 31 of the unit 13 andan extension 56 of it forming part of the frame 57 of the unit 15; asshown in FIG. 7, the guide action of the element 31 is such as to keepthat portion of ribbon situated within the printing area at a smalldistance from the print characters situated in the same printing area,so that there is no rubbing between the ribbon and the print characters.The two reels 34 and 35 are thrust by springs 36 and 37 into engagement(obtained by pins 38 and 39) with respective discs 40 and 41, which areconnected and disconnected alternately with two drive units 42 and 43 byelectromagnetic clutches 44 and 45. The alternate energising andde-energising of the electromagnetic clutches 44 and 45 is controlled bya microswitch 46, with which cooperates a lever 47 fixed to a spindle 48to which are also fixed two rocker arms 49. The lever 47 can assume twodifferent extreme positions (shown in differently dotted lines in FIG.7), which are defined by the position, sometimes to the right andsometimes to the left of the axis of the spindle 48, of the line ofaction of the spring 50 to the lever 47 and to a fixed point 51. Themovement of the lever 47 from one to the other of its two end positionsis determined, at the end of the unwinding of the ribbon from the reelwhich up to that moment was idle and hence dragged (the left one in thecase of FIG. 7 by the engagement between a block 52 carried at the endof the ribbon and the corresponding end of the arms 49. As a consequenceof this engagement the arms 49 rotate about the axis of the spindle 48and enable the lever 47 to move beyond the dead point represented by theline joining the axis of the spindle 48 to the point of fixing of thespring 50 on the arm 47. When this happens the microswitch 46 changesits state and de-energises the electromagnetic clutch associated withthe reel which up to that moment was dragged, and energises theelectromagnetic clutch associated with the reel which up to that momentwas pulling. The motion of the ribbon then reverses and continues inthat way until the block carried by the other end of the ribbonencounters the other end of the arms 49, so returning these to theoriginal position and restoring the original motion of the ribbon. Toensure that the ribbon is always under tension whatever the direction ofits motion, two washers of braking material 53 and 54 are provided fixedto a fixed cross member 55, on which the two discs 40 and 41 rub, andare consequently braked (naturally the braking action exerted on thedragged disc will be more effective than that exerted on the pullingdisc, and this explains the tensioning effect produced on the ribbon).

The support unit for print hammers 14 is shown in detail in FIGS. 8 and9, and comprises a succession of three rows of n print hammers 26, 27and 28, spaced apart by one step in the succession of rows of printcharacters of the unit 13 in the direction of movement of these latterwithin the printing area (it should be noted that in FIG. 8 the movementof the print characters is the reverse of that in FIG. 4, because theunit 13 is shown here turned through with respect to FIG. 4). In thedirection of development of the rows of hammers, i.e., in the directionof FIG. 9, the print hammers are in phase with the print characters ofthe rows of print characters contained in the unit 13, so that eachhammer of a row can engage with a corresponding character belonging tothe same row when a determined row of print characters is brought into aposition facing said row of hammers by the rotary motion produced by thedrive shaft 24 of the unit 13. The hammers 26, 27 and 28 are slidablyhoused in through holes in a plate 58, and when at rest they rest on afurther plate 59. They are operated by respective electromagnets 60, 61and 62, the mobile cores 66, 67 and 68 of which are connected to thehammers 26, 27 and 28 by respective rods 63, 64 and 65. Theelectromagnets 60 are carried, in the scale arrangement of FIG. 9 (whichenables a small distance to be maintained between the hammers 26irrespective of the undoubtedly larger dimensions of theelectromagnets), by four longitudinal members 69 fixed to two end walls70. The electromagnets 62 are carried in their turn, again in accordancewith a scale arrangement, by four longitudinal members 71 fixed to thetwo walls 70 in a symmetrical position with respect to the longitudinalmembers 69. The electromagnets 61 are carried, again in accordance witha scale arrangement, by two pairs of longitudinal members 74 fixed tothe walls 70 in a mutually symmetrical position (FIG. 8). The unit 14 iscompleted by a fan 73 disposed in such a manner as to blow air into thespace inside the system of walls and longitudinal members, so as to keepthe windings of the electromagnets at an acceptably temperature.

The operation of the electromagnets 60, 61 and 62, and hence of thehammers 26, 27 and 28, is controlled by the reading complex 12 inaccordance with the data read from a suitable support means for storeddata.

This support means consists preferably of a punched card such as thatshown in FIG. 10, in which the various data relating to identity andposition of the alphabetical and numerical characters contained in thetext to be printed are stored, using the well known Hollerith code.

In accordance with this coded storage system, the card 74 of FIG. 10comprises a plurality of punchable positions arranged in 12 lines andeighty columns.

The twelve lines of punchable positions of the card 74, disposed at amutual distance apart equal to that of the rows of print characters ofthe unit 13, consists of nine lines carrying the numbers 1 to 9, oneline 77 carrying the numbers nought and two further lines 75 and 76without any reference symbols. The code used in such that eachperforation provided in one of the lines carrying the numbers I to 9refers to a numerical character corresponding to the number indicated onthe line itself if the column comprising this perforation does notcomprise perforations in the lines 75, 76 and 77 (e.g., as in thefortyfirst column from the beginning in FIG. 10), or alternativelyrefers to an alphabetical character represented by one of the letters Ato I (A for the one line, B for the two line and so on) if the columncomprising this perforation also comprises a perforation in the line 75(e.g., as in the first column from the beginning in FIG. 10), oralternatively refers to an alphabetical character represented by one ofthe letters J to R (in the same order as previously mentioned) if thecolumn comprising this perforation also comprises a perforation in theline 76 (e.g., as in the tenth column from the beginning in FIG. 10), oralternatively refers to an alphabetical character represented by thesymbol or the letters S to Z (again in succession as for the numbers 1to 9) if the column comprising this perforation also comprises aperforation in the line 76 (e.g., in the twentyeighth column from thebeginning in FIG. 10); finally a perforation in line 77 without anyother perforations in the same column (e.g., as in the fortysecondcolumn from the beginning in FIG. 10) refers to a numerical characterrepresented by the number 0. The code system just described is alsoshown for clarity in the table given below in which the first columnfrom the left indicates any lines provided with perforations in additionto those in the lines 1 9 on the card and the other columns indicate thedifferent meaning assumed by the perforations in the lines 1 9 in theabsence or presence of further perforations in the lines 75, 76 and 77.

The number 0, as stated, is represented by a single perforation in line77.

In order to read a punched card such as that of FIG. 10, the machineshown on the drawings uses preferably a reading complex 12 such as thatshown in FIGS. 11

and 12. This reading complex comprises firstly a readv ing surface 78 onwhich, with the help of rollers 79 carried by spindles 80, the punchedcards 74 taken one at a time from a store 81 in which the cards areaccumulated one on the other, are driven towards a collection tray 82(with a speed of movement equal to that of the print characters of theunit 13). The taking of the cards is aided by a thin thrust plate 83moved alternately forwards and backwards from the rest position of FIGS.11 and 12.

The rollers 79 and thrust plate 83 are driven by a motor 84, coupled bytwo pulleys 85 and .86 and a transmission belt 87 to a shaft 88, onwhich the helical pinions 89 and 90 are keyed. The pinions 89 drive thespindles 80 and hence the rollers 79 uniformly by a 1:1 coupling withgearwheels 91 keyed on the spindles 80. The pinion 90 engages with atransmission ratio of 1:4 with a gearwheel 92 keyed on a spindle 93, onwhich is keyed a cam with a single lobe 94. A lever 96 pivoted at 97 andconnected to the thrust plate 83 (slidable in one plane) by means of arod 98 hinged at its two ends, is kept in engagement with said lobe by aspring 95. Because of the particular gear ratio chosen for the shafts 88and 93, and the single lobe configuration of the cam 94, the thrustplate 83 makes one oscillation for every four turns of the rollers 79;the purpose of this is evidently to create between the taking of onecard and the next a time interval sufficient to enable the first takencard to travel the entire or almost entire reading surface 78 before thenext card is taken. Moreover the contour of the cam 94 and the length ofthe lever 96 are chosen so as to ensure that the thrust plate 83 has aspeed of movement equal to the peripheral speed of the rollers 79, so asto enable the cards to always move at the same speed, both when they arein the process of being taken and during their passage on the workingsurface.

Between the store 81 and the collection tray 82, along the workingsurface 78, there are four reading devices 99, 100, 101 and 102,disposed at a distance apart equal to nine steps in the punchablepositions (or storage positions) of the cards 74. Each of these readingdevices includes three readers (indicated in FIG. 12 respectively withthe reference numerals 103 105, 106 108, 109 111 and 112 114), each ofwhich is designed to read the data stored in one of three adjacentsectors 115, 116 and 117 of the card 74 (FIG. 10). The three readers ofeach of the reading devices 99-102 are spaced apart by one step in thepunchable positions of the card in the direction of forward movement ofthis latter and comprise in their turn a certain number of adjacentreading elements, in mutual phase, each of which is designed to scan insuccession all the punchable positions of one column of the card. Eachof the reading elements which comprise a determined reader is connected(in the manner which will be explained hereinafter) to one respectivehammer of the n hammers which compose one of the three rows of hammersof the unit 14 of the printing assembly, because of which their numberis evidently less or equal to n. To the same hammers of the same row arealso connected the reading elements which in the other reading devicesare designed to scan the same columns of the card, so that each columnof the card is designed to be read by one reading element of each of thedevices 99-102, but to control by means of these a single hammer of theunit 14. The reading elements may be of various types, for example thephotoelectric cell or brush type; the essential requirement is that theyare able to provide a determined signal each time when during the courseof their scanning they encounter a perforation on the card.

The circuit shown in FIG. 13 may be considered as an example ofconnection between a print hammer and the four reading elements (one foreach of the devices 99-102) designed to explore a single column of thecard 74, in which the various reading elements have been considered asbeing formed from conducting plates 99a, 100a, 101a and 102a (signalemitter parts) associated with brush receiving elements 99b, 100b, 101!)and 102b (signal receiving parts).

Among the main elements which comprise or control the circuit of FIG. 13there are firstly the rotating changeover switch 118 and the two cams119 and 120. The changeover switch 118 is formed from a disc 121provided with a conducting sector 122 and three contacts 123, 124 and125 spaced apart and from the sector 122 by one pitch in the punchablepositions of the card 74, and a conducting pointer 126 rotatable insynchronism with the spindles 80 and with its phasing adjusted so thatit arrives at the contact 123 each time the reading element of thedevice 99 is scanning the punchable position relative to the line 75 ofthe column being scanned.

The cam 119, shown with cylindrical contour in FIG. 13, has a contourshaped so as to produce a succession of openings and closures of aswitch 127 associated with it for each complete turn, and of which thegraphical representation is given in FIG. 14 (the heavy dotted linesindicate closures). This cam 119 is coupled to the shaft 93 so as torotate in synchronism with it, so as to make a quarter of a revolutionfor each revolution of the spindles 80; it follows that the openings andclosures controlled by each quarter of its contour take place as thecard passes through a different one of the reading devices 99-102. Itscontour is formed in such a manner that the closures of the switch 127always take place when a punchable position on the card passes to theposition of scanning by a reading element. Thus as can be seen in FIG.14, the cam 119 causes the switch 127 to close each time one of thetwelve puchable positions of the card finds itself in a position ofscanning by the reading element of the device 99, and each time one ofthe punchable positions l-9 of the card finds itself in a position ofscanning by the reading elements of the device 100, 101 and 102, andalso after a further step of advancement of the card on termination ofscanning of the punchable position 9 by the reading element of thedevice 102. The four positions of the succession of openings andclosures controlled by the cam 119 are indicated by the referencenumbers 119a, 119b, H and 119d in FIG. 14, where the arrow 128 indicatesthe direction of succession.

The cam also rotates together with the shaft 93 and has a contour whichkeeps the switch 129 closed for nearly the whole of its revolution,until the moment of the last closure of the switch 127. This is seenclearly in FIG. 14, where the heavy dotted line indicates the period ofclosure.

The various electrical connections of the circuit of FIG. 13 are asfollows. The switch 127 has a fixed contact 130 connected to a positiveterminal 131 and a mobile contact 132 connected to the mobile contact133 (normally in the position of FIG. 13) of a changeover switch 152bprovided with two fixed contacts 135 and 136. The contact 135 isconnected to the conducting plate 120a of the reading element includedin the reading device 102 by way of a switch sensitive to the arrival ofthe card at the reading station defined by the device 102, i.e., by wayof a switch disposed at the inlet of the device 102 along the path ofthe card on the reading surface 78. The contact 136 is connected to themobile contact 141 (normally in the position of FIG. 13) of a changeoverswitch 151a provided with two fixed contacts 143 and 144. The fixedcontact 143 is connected to the conducting plate 101a of the readingelement included in the reading device 101 by way of a switch 139sensitive to the arrival of the card at the reading station defined bythe device 101. The contact 144 is connected in its turn to the mobilecontact 145 (normally in the position of FIG. 13) of a changeover switcha provided with two fixed contacts 147 and 148. The contact 147 isconnected to the conducting plate 100a of the reading element includedin the reading device 100 by way of a switch 138 sensitive to thearrival of the card at the reading station defined by the device 100.The contact 148 is connected in its turn to the conducting plate 99a ofthe reading element of the reading device 99 by way of a switch 137sensitive to the arrival of the card at the reading station defined bythe device 99.

The sensing element 99b of the reading element included in the readingdevice 99 is connected to the pointer 126 of the rotating changeoverswitch 118. The contacts 123 and 124 of this latter are connected to anegative terminal 149 by way of respective relays 150 and 151, withwhich further relays 150' and 151 are associated for holding thosecontacts controlled by the relays 150 and 151. The contact 125 isconnected to the negative terminal 149 by way of two relays in parallel152 and 153, with which further relays 152 and 153 are associated forholding those contacts controlled by the relays 152 and 153. Theconducting sector 122 of the rotating changeover switch 118 is connecteddirectly to the sensing elements 100b, 101b and 102b of the readingelements included in the reading devices 100, 101 and 102 respectively,and is also connected to a negative terminal 158 by way of an amplitier159 in series with one of the electromagnets 60 (or 61 or 62) foroperating the print hammers 26 (or 27 or 28). The amplifier andelectromagnet are also connected to a positive terminal 160 by way of anormally open switch 153a controlled by the relays 153 and 153' inseries with a normally closed switch 152a controlled (together with thechangeover switch 152b) by the relays 152 and 152'.

The switch 129 has a mobile contact 134 connected to a positive terminal142 and a fixed contact 146 connected to the mobile contacts 132 and 133of the switch 127 and of the changeover switch 152b by way of two diodeswith opposing cathodes 154 and 155 in series. The fixed contact 146 isalso connected to a negative terminal 156 by way of the relay 150' inseries with a normally open switch 150b controlled (together with thechangeover switch 150a) by the relays 150 and 150', by way of the relay151' in series with a normally open switch 151b controlled (togetherwith the changeover switch 151a) by the relays 151 and 151 and also byway of the relay 152 in series with a normally open switch 152ccontrolled by the relays 152 and 152'. The common cathodes of the twodiodes 154 and 155 are also connected to the negative terminal 156 byway of a resistance 157 in series with the relay 153 and a normally openswitch l53b controlled by the relays 153 and 153'. Finally anintermediate point between the resistance 157 and the relay 153' isconnected directly to the sensing element l02b of the reading elementincluded in the reading device 102.

As stated, the circuit of FIG. 13 represents an example of theconnection between four reading elements designed to scan the samecolumn of the card and one of the print hammers of the unit 14.Obviously the machine will include as many equal circuits as there areprint hammers. The only difference between the various circuits will berepresented by the fact that the cams 119 and 120 and the rotatingchangeover switch 118 of the circuits relative to reading elementsincluded in readers for scanning different sectors of the card will beout of phase by one step so as to give different moments of beginning ofthe reading.

Taking this into account, it will be supposed that a machine will beused constructed in this manner for printing a three line address storedon the card 74 of FIG. 10.

While the various rows of print characters of the unit 13 succeed eachother in the printing area in a position facing the three rows of printhammers of the unit 14 by the uniform motion given to the drive shaft24, and while the document (single or as a continuous module) on whichthe address is to be printed is positioned in said printing area with orwithout the use of suitable motorised means of any type, the thrustplate 83 takes the card 74 from the store 81 and places it on thereading surface 78 where it is made to advance at constant speed (equalto that of the print characters) by the drive rollers 79. On arriving atthe inlet to the reading device 99, the card closes the switch 137, soallowing the device 99 to read. As the first line of the card arrives ina position to be read by the reading elements designed to scan the cardsector 115, the cams 119 cause a first closure of the switches 127included in the circuits relative to said reading elements, so (for eachof them) making the electrical connection between the positive terminal131 and the conducting plate of the reading element, which thus becomesactive. As there are no perforations, the sensing elements 99b of thereading elements which scan the seventh, the tenth, the eleventh andfrom the thirteenth to the twentyseventh column (from the beginning inFIG. of the card do not make electrical contact with the conductingplate and therefore do not energise the respective relays 150 (thepointer 126 is in that moment in the position of FIG. 13); instead, thesensing elements 99b of the reading elements which scan the first to thesixth and then the eighth, the ninth and twelfth column of the card makecontact because of the perforations in these latter, because of whichsaid sensing elements cause the energising of the respective relays 150which. before being again de-energised because of the subsequentadvancement of the card, cause the closure of the switches 150k andhence the energising of the relays 150. These latter keep the switches150!) closed, because of which they themselves remain energised and alsokeep the switches 150a closed (previously also closed by the relays150), which deactivate the reading elements of the device 99 and insteadactivate the reading elements of the device 100 (naturally reference isalways made to the reading elements for said columns provided withperforations in the first line).

After a further step of advancement of the card, i.e., when the firstline of the card sector 116 arrives at the second reader (out of phaseby one step) of the device 99 and the second line of the card sectorarrives at the first reader of the device 99, the cams 119 of bothreaders close the switches 127, while the pointers 126 of the firstreader are in the position of electrical contact with the contacts 124.The changeovers previously described in relation to the first reader areevidently repeated for the second reader, i.e., the relays 150 and 150are energised and switch the changeover switches 150a relative to thereading elements which explore the 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, and 39columns, so deactivating the reading elements of the device 99 andactivating those of the device 100; with regard to the first readerhowever, the sensing elements 99b of the reading elements which scan thetenth, eleventh and thirteenth column of the card cause the momentaryenergising of the respective relays 151 and then, together with thepermanent energising of the relays 151, the switching of the changeoverswitches 151a towards the reading device 101.

After a further step of advancement of the card, this latter comes intoa position in which the first line of the sector 117 is at the thirdreader, the second line of the sector 116 is at the second reader andthe third line of the sector 115 is at the first reader, while thepointers 126 of the third reader are in the position of FIG. 13, thoseof the second reader are at the contact 124 and those of the firstreader are at the contact 125; the cams 119 close the switches 127 ofall the readers of the device 99. in conformity with that saidpreviously, the changeover switches a associated with the readingelements of the third reader which scan the 54, 55, 56, 57 and 70columns of the card switch over and the changeover switches 151aassociated with the reading elements of the second reader which scan thethrityfourth and thirtyeighth columns of the card switch over; howeverno change takes place in the first reader because the card sector 115has no perforations in the third line,

After a further step forward, the card is brought into a position inwhich the fourth line of the sector 115 is at the first reader, thethird line of the sector 116 is at the second reader and the second lineof the sector 117 is at the third reader, while the pointers 126 of thefirst reader are brought to the sectors 122, those of the second readerto the contacts 125 and those of the third

1. A machine for printing a multi-line text of alphabetical andnumerical characters on a document, said text being formed from m linesand k typographical spaces per line, comprising a reading complex fordata, stored on a support means, relative to the identity and positionof the various alphabetical and numerical characters contained in thetext to be printed, and a printing assembly controlled by said readingcomplex, said printing assembly being composed of a support unit forprint characters and a support unit for print hammers arranged toco-operate with said print characters for printing alphabetical andnumerical characters on a document fed between said hammers and saidprint characters, said support unit for print characters containing anordered succession of as many rows of n (n > OR = k) like printcharacters as there are alphabetical and numerical characters in thelanguage adopted for the text to be printed, said support unit for printhammers containing a succession of m rows, spaced apart by one step insaid succession of rows of print characters, of n print hammers providedwith respective means for their independent operation into a position ofengaement with respective print characters, said units being disposedand made to move one with respect to the other in the direction ofdevelopment of said succession of rows of print characters in such amanner that one group, different each time, of m successive rows ofprint characters, comes in turn into a printing area in which the printcharacters are in a position facing, and suitable for engagement with,the m rows of print hammers, said support means for stored data beingdivided into a number m of store sectors, in each of which is stored thedata relative to the identity and position of the alphabetical andnumerical characters contained in one line of the text to be printed,and each of said sectors being divided in its turn into a number h (k <OR = h < OR = n) of subsectors, each of which is provided with anordered succession of storage positions in which the data relative tothe alphabetical or numerical character situated in a determinedposition in a line of the text to be printed is stored according to acode which comprises the use of storage positions increasingly moredistant from a reference position for storing data regarding theidentity of progressively successive alphabetical and numericalcharacters in accordance with an order of succession corresponding tothat of the print characters contained in the printing assembly, saidreading complex comprising at least one reading device including mreaders, each of which is designed for reading the data stored in onesector of the support means and comprises in its turn h readingelements, each of which is controlled so as to scan in succession,starting from the aforementioned reference position, the various storagepositions of a subsector of the support means in such a manner as toread the character identity data stored in a determined storage positionof said subsector in any moment of time, the time lag of which from themoment of scanning said reference position depends on the distancebetween the storage position used and said reference position, the hreading elements included in each reader being independently connectedto the means for operating the same number of hammers of one of the mrows of hammers of the printing assembly so as to cause the independentoperation of these latter at each reading of a piece of data stored inthe various subsectors of a store sector of the support means, and beingmade to scan the respective subsectors of the support meanssimultaneously and in phase with each other so that all the dataregarding the identity of equal characters stored in one sector of thesupport means is read simultaneously and gives rise to the simultaneousoperation of all the hammers associated with the reading elements whichread this data and then to the simultaneous printing of all the equalcharacters contained in one line of the text to be printed, the readingmovement and the mutaual movement of the two units of the printingassembly being synchronised and put into mutual phase in such a mannerthat the reading of a determined piece of data regarding the characteridentity by one of the reading elements of a determineD reader alwayscoincides with the appearance of the corresponding row of printcharacters in a position facing those hammers forming part of the rowassociated with the reading elements of that reader, and the readersassociated with the, in turn, successive rows of hammers in thedirection of mutual movement of the two units of the printing assemblybeing controlled in such a manner as to scan the respective sectors ofthe support means with mutual time lags corresponding to one step in thesuccession of storage positions in the support means and in thesuccession of rows of hammers and print characters of the printingassembly, so that the control actions for the operation of a row ofhammers of the printing assembly for the printing of a group of equalalphabetical or numerical characters on a line of the document to beprinted are delayed, with respect to those for the operation of theprevious row of hammers for the printing of the same alphabetical ornumerical characters on the previous line of the document, by a timesufficient to allow the corresponding row of print characters to movefrom the position facing said previous row of hammers to the positionfacing the row of hammers being operated.
 2. A machine as claimed inclaim 1, in which said succession of rows of print characters is carriedby at least one chain made to move in the direction of development ofsaid succession along a substantially elliptical path which comprises atleast one straight portion which defines the printing area.
 3. A machineas claimed in claim 2, in which in said straight portion of the path ofthe chain there is provided a rigid plate disposed behind the printcharacters so as to act as a backing element for the pressure applied bythe print hammers when these move into the position of engagement withthe print characters.
 4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising aprinting ribbon driven so as to move within the printing area betweenthe print characters and the document to be printed, said ribbon beingwound at its ends on two reels controlled so that one is driven and theother is idle vice versa alternately, means being provided forautomatically putting the reel into the idle condition until that momentin which it becomes driven, and for automatically driving the reel untilthat moment in which it becomes idle before the complete unwinding ofthe ribbon from this latter reel.
 5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, inwhich support means for stored data consists of a card punched accordingto Hollerith code, which is divided into m card sectors, each of whichcomprises h subsectors each consisting of one column of punchablepositions of the card.
 6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, in which saidreading complex comprises four reading devices arranged in successionalong a reading path of the card at a distance apart equal to nine stepsof punchable positions of the card in the direction of development ofthe columns of this latter, the reading elements of said devices whichare designed for scanning the same column of the card being connected tothe same means of operation of a print hammer and being connectedtogether in such a manner that those belonging to the second, third andfourth device in the direction of reading of the card are activated onlyby the reading of a perforation in the first, second and third linerespectively of the card in the same direction of reading by the readingelement belonging to the first device, this activation giving rise tothe deactivation of this latter reading element, there being alsoprovided means for limiting this activation to only the reading of theperforations subsequent to the third line of punchable positions of thecard.
 7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, in which said reading elementsare composed of a signal emitting part and a signal receiving part, theemitting parts of the reading elements designed for scanning the samecolumn of the card being connected to a common feed supply by way ofrespective circuit brAnches alternately selectable by changeover means,and a common circuit branch controlled by switching means associatedwith a first cam, said first cam being rotated at a speed such as tomake one quarter of a turn for each complete passage of the card througha reading device and having a contour shaped so as to close saidswitching means at each passage of a perforation through a positioncorresponding with that of the reading element of the first device andat each passage of a perforation subsequent to the third line through aposition corresponding with that of the reading elements of the second,third and fourth device, the receiving part of the reading element ofthe first device being connected to the pointer of a rotating changeoverswitch driven in such a manner that the pointer becomes positioned atthree different fixed contacts to coincide with the reading of the firstthree lines of the card and at a continuous conducting sector tocoincide with the reading of the other lines of the card, saidconducting sector and the receiving parts of the reading elements of thesecond, third and fourth device being connected to a means of operationof a print hammer, said three fixed contacts being connected torespective means for controlling the changeover of said changeover meansso as to operate these latter to select the reading element of thesecond device, the reading element of the third device and the readingelement of the fourth device respectively following the reading of aperforation in the first, second and third line of the cardrespectively.
 8. A machine as claimed in claim 5, in which said readingcomplex comprises a preliminary reading unit which carries out thesimultaneous scanning of all sectors of the card, a decoder and a numberm of stores, each of which is designed to store the data read in arespective sector of the card, and comprises n store columns in each ofwhich the data read in one of the columns of the card is storedaccording to a code which provides for the energising of a store elementwhich stands at a greater distance from a reference element the furtherthe alphabetical or numerical character of said data stands in the orderof succession of the print characters, the store elements of each ofsaid stores being connected to the hammers of a respective row ofhammers, the lines of each store being scanned by a reader out of phaseby one step of said lines with respect to the readers of the otherstores.